Report of the Faculty Policy Committee's
Subcommittee on Examination and Term Regulations

APPENDIX C

Current Term and End-of-term Regulations

Rules and Regulations of the Faculty

2.51

Final examinations shall be held during the final examination period following each term, and shall be scheduled through the Office of the Registrar, as well as announced to the class, before the end of the third week of the term. The final examination scheduled in any subject shall last at least one hour and not more than three hours.

2.53

For each subject with a final examination: no examination shall be given and no assignment, term paper, or oral presentation shall fall due after the Final Exercise Date for classes with final examinations. This Date shall be set as the Friday preceding the start of reading period. For each subject without a final examination: at most, either one in-class examination may be given, or one assignment, term paper, or oral presentation may fall due, between the Final Exercise Date and the end of the last regularly scheduled class in the subject. An in-class examination given during this period is limited to one normal class period (or to one and one-half hours, whichever is shorter). No assignment, term paper, or oral presentation for any subject shall fall due after the last day of class exercises scheduled for that subject.

1998-99 MIT Bulletin

Term Regulations

The Faculty Regulations governing end-of-term examinations and assignments, together with the Faculty Policy Committee's interpretation, are described below. They apply both to undergraduate and graduate subjects.

Beginning of Term

• During the first three weeks of classes, instructors are asked to provide a clear and complete description of the requirements in each subject, including the due dates for required work, the schedule of examinations during the term, whether there will be a final examination and the grading criteria and procedures to be used. Major assignments should be assigned early enough to allow students the opportunity to manage their time effectively throughout the term.
   
• It is the instructor's responsibility early in the term to inform students of expectations regarding permissible academic conduct in the subject. Particular attention should be given to such questions as the extent of collaboration permitted or encouraged, and the use of prior years' materials in completing problem sets, lab reports, and other assignments.

End of Term

• Final examinations are held during the final examination period following each term, and must be scheduled through the Schedules Office, as well as announced to the class, before the end of the third week of the term. The final examination scheduled in any subject can last from one hour to three hours.
   
• For each subject that has a final examination, no examination may be given and no assignment, term paper, or oral presentation may fall due after the Final Exercise Date. This date shall be set as the Friday preceding the start of the Reading Period. The scheduled time for a final examination cannot be changed once it has been officially published; inquiries about limited exceptions to this policy should be directed promptly to the Schedules Office.
   
• Each subject in which no final examination is given may have at most one of the following fall due between the Final Exercise Date and the end of the last regularly scheduled class in the subject: one in-class quiz given during a regularly scheduled class period or one assignment (term paper, lab report, take-home quiz, problem set, oral presentation, etc.) An in-class quiz given during this period is limited to one normal class period (or to one and one-half hours, whichever is shorter).
   
• A comprehensive examination (covering most of the term's work) can only be given during the final examination period or before the last week of classes.
   
• No classes, examinations, or exercises of any kind may be scheduled beyond the end of the last regularly scheduled class in a subject, except for final examinations scheduled through the Schedules Office. Any formal reviews of subjects should be held during regular class periods, but the rule does not exclude the possibility of sessions after the last day of classes at which the instructing staff is available to answer questions of students who choose to attend. (The architecture design reviews that occur during finals week are considered to be equivalent to final examinations and are scheduled by the Department of Architecture.)
   
• No assignment of any kind may be given that falls due after the last regularly scheduled meeting of the class for that subject. This does not prevent an instructor from giving an extension to an individual student, but blanket extensions should not be given to the entire class.
   
• Any departure from these rules requires permission of the CAP for undergraduate subjects or the CGSP for graduate subjects. Any such approved exception will be announced early in the term and emphasized appropriately. Asking students to vote on some deviation from the rules is not an acceptable procedure.

Faculty or students with questions regarding the interpretation or application of any of these provisions should contact the Chair of the Faculty or request the assistance of the CAP, Room 7-104, (617) 253-4164.

Term Regulations from the Chair of the Faculty (Spring 1999)

 

1.2	FIRST THREE WEEKS During the first three weeks of classes, faculty members are asked to provide a clear and complete description of the requirements in each subject, including: 1) the due dates for required work; 2) a schedule of examinations during the term; 3) whether there will be a final examination; and 4) the grading criteria and procedures to be used. Major assignments should be assigned early enough to allow students the opportunity to manage their time effectively throughout the term.
2.2	REGULATIONS FOR SUBJECTS WITH A FINAL EXAMINATION In a subject with a final examination, no other examination may be given and no assignment may fall due after Friday, May 7. Please note that extending the due date makes it harder, not easier, for students to plan their work. Any such extension should only be done on an individual basis and at the request of the student. Of course, regular classes and reading assignments may continue during the last week of the term (through May 13), and new material presented during this period may be covered in the final examination. The scheduled time for a final examination cannot be changed once it has been officially published; inquiries about limited exceptions to this policy should be directed promptly to the Schedules Office.
2.3	REGULATIONS FOR SUBJECTS WITH NO FINAL EXAMINATION In a subject with no final examination, only one of the following may be given or fall due during the last week of classes (May 10-13): a quiz given during a regularly scheduled class period (1 to 1.5 hours, depending upon the length of the class period and not in the evening) or one assignment (paper, lab report, problem set, oral presentation, etc.).
2.4	COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATIONS A comprehensive examination (covering most of the term's work) can only be given during the final examination period or before the last week of classes (i.e., before May 7).
2.5	EXERCISES AFTER THE LAST SCHEDULED CLASS No classes, examinations, or exercises of any kind may be scheduled beyond the end of the last regularly scheduled class in a subject, except for Architecture design reviews and final examinations scheduled through the Schedules Office. No assignment of any kind may fall due after the last regularly scheduled meeting of that subject. This does not prevent an instructor from giving an extension to an individual student, but blanket extensions should not be given to the entire class. Although formal reviews of subjects should be held during regular class periods, the rule does not exclude the possibility of sessions after the last day of classes at which the instructing staff is available to answer questions of students who choose to attend. Such sessions should be publicized in advance and open to all students enrolled in a subject.